Shareholder disputes

Shareholder disputes have been described as corporate divorce, and the analogy is apt. The most cost-effective solution is likely to involve resolving the practical problems and persuading all parties to consent to a shareholders' agreement or settlement. Where necessary, a stick-and-carrot approach may be adopted, using the coordinated skills of our litigation and company lawyers.

We are able to provide integrated tax advice on the implications of any proposed agreement between disputing shareholders. Alternatively, we can advise clients on the other legal options open to them, and provide accurate cost parameters for each.

Where a shareholder dispute is linked to an employment issue, we work with our employment lawyers to provide integrated employment and litigation advice, enabling clients to identify and adopt the best strategy for their case.

Recent work

  • Acting for shareholders who were suing a company because it was being run in a manner unfairly prejudicial to the interests of some of them.
  • Advising in a dispute over the earn-out payments made to the shareholder and former owner of a business purchased by a company.
  • Representing a shareholding director of a listed company, who was being dismissed. This was primarily a whistleblowing case with implications for share valuations.